Telephone and Internet

Cell Phone

New contracts for cell phones are handled at cell phone shops. Since there are various types of cell phones and service plans available, we recommend that you consult your acquaintances before selecting a cell phone. To sign a service contract, you will need your Residence card and your passport. Since you can pay your cell phone bills by credit card or automatic debit transfer (through a bank or post office), please bring bank cash card, passbook or credit card with your name stamp (Inkan) as well when you make a contract.

SIM CARD

A contract period of major cell phone companies in Japan is mainly for 2 years. If you terminate their 2-year contract before the contract ends, you may need to pay an early termination or cancellation fee. Otherwise, the short-term contract, such as 1 year or less, is available for SIM card that is called “Kakuyasu SIM” in Japan. Various packages (e.g. voice call and data communication, data communication only, data capacity) are available for Kakuyasu SIM cards, so you can choose a good package for you. You can buy Kakuyasu SIM cards through online shopping or at major electronics retail shops.

Fixed-line Telephone

Because of the spread of cell phones, many people find that they do not require a fixed-line phone. Please discuss the necessity with your acquaintance.
To have access to fixed-line telephone service at your home, you will require your Residence card and passport to make an application with a telephone-service provider. NTT is perhaps the most commonly used company for fixed-line service but there are several companies that offer such services, including Softbank Telecom and KDDI. The contact information for inquiries is as follows:

International Telephone Service

In addition to the companies listed below, there are other companies that can be contracted at lower rates, depending on the country you are dialling. We recommend that you check the websites of various companies. The main three companies and their code numbers are as follows:

KDDI: 001 Tel: 0057

Softbank Telecom: 0061 Tel: 0088-41

NTT Communications: 0033 Tel: 0120-506506

How to Make an International Call

Dial telephone company code + 010 + country code + area code (excluding the initial “0”) + other party’s telephone number in this order.

Internet

If you wish to have an internet connection at home you will require a telephone or cable connection (such as an NTT telephone line) and a contract with an Internet-service provider. There are many different Internet-service providers in Japan with different services, and it is recommended that you give careful thought to select a provider to suit your needs. The main internet service providers are as follows: